Rats! St. Clair Shores says no to $5-per-rodent bounty

5:30 PM, February 6, 2013

The idea behind the bounty to capture rats like this one was to collect data on where rodents were living. Rats have become a problem in numerous communities around metro Detroit. Brandon Currie shows the one he caught outside his home in Warren on Sept. 23, 2010. / KATHLEEN GALLIGAN/Detroit Free Press file photo

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

City officials announced Monday that the $5-per-rat bounty was off the table because of negative feedback from residents and negative publicity about the idea.

Acting City Manager Mike Smith said today that the City Council determined that the bounty wasn’t necessary. He said about 90% of the feedback was, “This is stupid; it’s not going to work,” while the other 10% was, “This is crazy; don’t do it.”

Councilwoman Candice Rusie, who opposed the bounty idea, said she is glad the council is not pursuing that part of the proposal.

“It’s unfortunate that we had to incur such negative publicity on our city and our city government,” she said.

The bounty, presented to the council Jan. 21, prompted hundreds of comments on the city’s Facebook page and garnered national attention. Officials planned to accept comments through the month and possibly discuss the program at council’s first meeting in March.

But the idea — which was to collect data on where the rats were living — ended almost as quickly as a Wild West showdown.

Rusie said officials will be investigating other ways to combat rodents, which plague many metro Detroit communities. One way is through the city’s new website and the ability to report concerns and map rodent complaints.

Smith said officials are still considering larger garbage cans with molded lids and a targeted approach to inspecting neighborhoods and baiting.

Experts have said the best way to get a handle on rat populations is to educate residents about reducing the number of places rats can live and to eliminate the rodents’ food and water sources.